A chilly, rainy, lazy day in the desert

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 Because both our Ayres Rock tours were crammed into one day, we had a "day of leisure" yesterday in which we did laundry and mostly just laid around.  John had a hairspray explosion in his suitcase which soaked a few layers of clothing, so the chance to wash it out was welcome.  It was a drizzly chilly day, temps probably in the 50'sF, the last thing we expected here in what is purported to be desert.  Two years of unusual rains have made the desert green and today we have much colder weather than anyone, even the Aussies, expected.

I love the flora and fauna here.  We see things we don't have at home in the States.  I looked this up in a book on the train, but have forgotten what it is. It might be a Banksia, but I'm not sure.  If you know, please comment!  But how unusual to have the flower and the seed pods at the same time.

More gorgeous seed pods

A rackety flock of these birds was perched outside our room for a little while in the afternoon, another thing I can't name.